John the Baptist

John the Baptist (died 29 AD) was a Jewish itinerant preacher in the first century AD. He amassed a large following through his preachings, but he anticipated a power higher than himself arriving, and this power was Jesus, whom he baptized in the River Jordan. In 29 AD, John was beheaded by Herod Antipater for rebuking him for divorcing his wife in favor of the wife of his brother, Herod II of Judea.

Biography
John was born in Judea to a Jewish family, and he became an itinerant preacher during the 1st century AD. He used baptism as the central symbol of his messianic movement, cleansing people of their sins through immersion in water. Some people believed him tob e the prophet Elijah or the Messiah, but he stated that he was "the voice of one crying in the wilderness", and that a greater power than himself would appear. This power, according to the New Testament, was Jesus, who John reluctantly baptized in the River Jordan, believing that, as the Son of God, he did not need to be cleansed of sin; however, Jesus wanted to set an example for others to follow in his path. In 27 AD, he criticized King Herod Antipater for divorcing his wife and unlawfully taking Herodias, his brother Herod's wife, as his own wife. This led to John being imprisoned, and he was beheaded a year later. It is said that his head was preserved in the Umayyad Mosque in Damascus, Syria.